


On a Fox's Trail

by ARTofOTK



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Community: spanking_world, Corporal Punishment, Discipline, Non-Consensual Spanking, Post-Episode: s06e03 Triangle, Spanking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-30 18:57:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17229425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ARTofOTK/pseuds/ARTofOTK
Summary: Unbeknownst to Scully, her partner's vacation plans are a cover for a risky plot... but the truth comes out with Skinner's help. He's been hot on Mulder's trail and decides to set fire to his tail! ;)(It'll help to recall s6e3 to understand some references, but I'll provide the gist of what happened anyway.)





	On a Fox's Trail

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SpankedbySpike](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpankedbySpike/gifts).



> This a fill for a "2018 Holiday Bingo" prompt over in LJ's Spanking World community. SpankedBySpike requested a story in which Mulder gets a spanking, and I've been happily (though slowly) giving it a go! Sorry I still have to finish a second part, but I've gotten things started... I will try to get this story done in within the next week, then on to more prompts! \o/

“So... a UFO convention... in Newfoundland, Canada? You haven’t taken a vacation in, what, _eight_ years? And _that’s_ where you’re gonna go?” Scully raised an eyebrow at her partner from where she stood in front of his desk. Mulder only smirked in reply as he tidied the top of it, sliding files and books back into drawers and shelves, and brushing off the remnants of sunflower seeds.

Scully had never seen the desk look so bare, but her exasperation prevented her from feeling much appreciation for the effort to ready the basement office for her. Starting tomorrow, she would be handling a one week stint alone, and she’d been complaining about the lack of space for her to actually put anything down – even a mug. She’d known for a while that Mulder had booked some time off but he had only now disclosed his itinerary. “I’m serious, Mulder! You should consider going somewhere that’s not related to... to what is practically _work_ for you!”

“Come on, Scully, is this really so surprising? Did you expect me to tell you I was flying to Maui to learn how to hula dance or... or to Tuscany for a wine tour?” Scully was surprised at how difficult it was to imagine him doing anything typical of a tourist and Mulder noticed her struggling to hide a grin.

He claimed victory. “See! You would’ve gone into shock! Well, if I ever decide to do either of those then please do me a favor and figure out whether I’ve been possessed, brainwashed, or cloned. It’ll be one of the three!”

This made Scully let out a short giggle and Mulder feigned annoyance, saying, “I’m serious, Scully!” Then he laughed as well and both of them wound up gazing fondly at each other when there came three hard knocks at the door.

Scully twisted around to look curiously at the door. “It’s late. Who do you think that is?” Their shifts were technically over for the day.

Mulder shrugged and sat down before calling out, “Come in!”

The door swung open and Assistant Director Walter Skinner took a single step into the room. His eyes met Scully’s and he nodded at her, then they settled darkly on Mulder. “Good evening, agents. I was hopinh you might both still be here.”

“Hello sir,” said Scully, while Mulder responded with, “Hey Skinner, what can I do you for?”

“You and I, Mulder, need to have a discussion. Scully, do you mind giving us some privacy? I would suggest going home. We might take some time.” The request was rather ominous but the brief glance that Scully sent Mulder was only mildly worried and mostly wondering. This was far from the first time their supervisor had come down to lecture her partner but he usually did so much earlier in the day, and she could usually guess what wayward action was at the root of his discontent. She was usually pissed off about the same thing after all.

Their recent investigations were uneventful, however, and smoothly solved. Nothing too unorthodox had been resorted to. Even for her, the last couple cases had been too... _normal._ Perhaps that was why Mulder was so eager to go out of the country to rave about flying saucers. Well, anyway, she had half-expected some semblance of praise from Skinner for Mulder’s good behavior, but the balding man’s stern expression swept that idea under the rug to die. Her partner was really in for it!

Scully confidently assumed that this forthcoming explosion was well deserved. She itched to inquire about the mischief Mulder had gotten up to without her knowledge but decided it would be best to wait until the aftermath. She would go home as Skinner requested and give Mulder a call before his morning flight. After admonishing him for whatever mess he made, he'd probably cajole her into comforting him instead, and then she'd wish him a safe trip.

With a nod to Skinner, she spared a second glance at Mulder (who now had on his distinct panic face) and then made her way to the door, but then –

“Scully, no! Wait up! We, uh... Weren’t we supposed to have a bite before I went home to finish packing?” She rolled her eyes, unable to recall him ever asking her to go out to eat... not counting those greasy diners near the motels they too often frequented. Did he think her presence would save him from a worse dressing down?

Before Scully could formulate a verbal response, Mulder told Skinner, “Whatever you have to say to me can wait until I’m back. Maybe you didn’t know, but... (he looked down at his watch) I’ve been off work as of one hour and forty-two minutes ago.” As if to emphasize the fact, Mulder actually put his feet up on his desk and crossed his ankles before leaning back and clasping his hands behind his head. The swivel chair tilted with a squeak.

Skinner swung the door shut and marched further into the room, not stopping until he had gone around the desk. Scully observed Mulder’s expression change from cocky to a cringe as the other man loomed over him. Then Skinner suddenly grabbed the back of his chair and shook it! Mulder gave a started shout, flailing for a moment before standing with teeth bared and fists clenched at his sides.

The taller man didn’t seem threatened in the least. He was definitely the more built of the two, despite being older. Mulder was undeniably an athletic man but Skinner seemed to have maintained whatever strict exercise regimen he must have adapted to as a soldier. Mulder was like a riled fox facing up against a hardy hound dog that had sniffed out its trail.

“Oh, I’m _very_ aware of your time off, Mulder...” Skinner spoke grimly, “That’s why it’s so urgent for us to have this discussion, here and now.”

Mulder crossed his arms with a tilt of his head before retorting, “If it’s so urgent, then why does Scully have to leave the room?”

Skinner pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing, “Jesus, Mulder, I’m trying to spare you.”

“Oh, fine, then _spare_ me the goddamn lecture I sense you’ve got steaming in your head! I haven’t done anything wrong!”

Mulder’s petulance shocked Scully into intervening. “Mulder! You’re being ridiculous! Just – stay and talk, please. If it’s a misunderstanding, then wouldn’t you want to clear it up as soon as possible? Skinner, sir, I apologize for this, um... poor conduct. I’ll head home now. Good night.” She sent Mulder a look that clearly warned him to calm the heck down and then reached for the door handle, but then –

“Hold on, Scully. I’m tired of you making the apologies when Mulder is the only one who owes ‘em. This matter I’m here to discuss does concern you, in a way... at least in relation to a previous incident. Perhaps it would be appropriate for you to stay and hear the apology that’s owed to you. Mulder has been attempting to deceive us both, I’m sorry to report. He has some stupid scheme set up for his so-called vacation. Isn’t that right, Mulder?”

Scully turned to frown at her partner, “What does he mean, Mulder?”

Mulder’s panic face turned up a notch as he nervously looked back and forth between her and Skinner. He put his hands behind his back, either to prevent them from fidgeting or to hide them while they did, then stammered, “I, uh... I don’t know what he’s on about, Scully. Please, um... why don’t you go? I’ll sort it out with Skinner, like – like you said!”

Skinner countered with, “Please, Scully, lock the door and have a seat.” She followed that order without hesitation. Though the air was stiflingly tense, she wouldn’t leave now that she was positive that Mulder was hiding something so much worse than she could have imagined. She sat down in one of the two mismatched chairs that faced the front of the desk, leaving the one on her right empty, and then settled in for the big reveal.

“Thank you, Scully. Now, Mulder, perhaps you can tell me... Does Newfoundland have a lot of fish?”

This odd question seemed to throw Mulder off enough that he answered rather civilly. “Yeah, uh, I think the fishing industry is pretty major there.”

Skinner hmm’ed and then asked, “Are there many places that serve... sushi?”

Scully watched, dumbfounded, as Mulder’s face suddenly paled and then begin to sweat. What was she missing here?

Skinner put a hand on Mulder’s shoulder, saying steadily, “Sit back down. I have more questions for you.”

Mulder shook it off and yelled, “No! No, I _won't_ sit down! I’m off the clock so, technically, you’re not my boss – not now, not for the next seven days! I don’t have to answer these ridiculous questions, so I – I’m gonna go! And you can’t stop me!” He picked up his suit jacket that was draped over his chair and started to put it on, seeking out the arm holes.

Scully was growing concerned over how red Skinner was getting in the face, but she decided not to interrupt when he began yelling back, “I’ve about had it with you, Mulder! You’re not leaving this room until you fess up to your ridiculous plan, got it? And you’ll also be staying until you promise me you won’t ever go through with it! It’s your choice whether you’ll do so with your ass down – or with it up! What’s it to be?”

He was ignored as Mulder stepped past with his jacket half-way on, the sleeves only up to his elbows. Skinner grabbed at him with a growl, spinning him toward the desk and then shoving him against the edge. “Ass up it is then!” Skinner declared as he bent Mulder over the wood surface, and then he added, “I’m glad to see you’ve managed some cleaning. Made a perfect spot for yourself.” There was the barest trace of humor in his observation.

Mulder’s jacket had trapped his arms behind him and he was easily kept down while Skinner went to work at the bundled fabric, making a series of twists and knots until Mulder’s wrists looked as restricted as they would’ve been in handcuffs. Mulder was doing his best to free himself but that only seemed to tighten the bind... He moved on to being verbal. “Skinner, what – what the _hell?_ Let me go! You – you _bastard!_ Let me go right _now!_ ”

It was Skinner’s turn to ignore him. He grabbed the back of Mulder’s pants, effectively gripping the belt like a handle as he hoisted the struggling man further over the desk. The heels of his shoes were lifted off the floor, and the top of Mulder’s head reached past the front edge of the desk. He pressed his right cheek down on the wood surface to try and face his opponent as well as possible while delivering more shocked and angry protests.

The nest of Mulder’s brown hair hid everything but the tip of his long nose from Scully’s view so that she couldn’t see his expression from where she sat, silent, feeling invisible to the two men. She could guess, still, that despite how furious Mulder sounded, he probably looked pretty darn scared right now. Scully was scared _for_ him.

To her knowledge, their boss had never gone to this extent with an agent under his supervision, in order to – what? Frighten Mulder into submission? Display just how much stronger and in control he was? It seemed so... animalistic. However, she couldn’t deny how hopeful she was that this tactic might be worth the effort. Conversing with Mulder could be overly difficult, as was demonstrated just a few moments ago. Words, no matter how well presented or fact-based, were often wasted on her partner. She could attest to that personally.

After allowing herself a brief moment to wallow in self-pity, Scully realized that Mulder had gone quiet. Was he just catching his breath? Or had he finally figured out that yelling and cursing was not the best idea?

Either way, Skinner took advantage of the opportunity to speak calmly and be heard. “All right, Mulder, let’s try this again. I’ve got questions and you’ve got answers. I suggest that you help me make this as painless as possible...”

Skinner stood to Mulder’s left and still had a hold of his waist band and belt at the back of his pants. Scully fully expected him to pull Mulder back up and deposit him back into his chair for an interrogation-like scene. Instead, he gave a slight tug and the loose-fitting material tightened over Mulder’s rear end, defining the two firm buttocks. Then he said, “It’ll be painful enough as it is,” and raised his right arm high.

Skinner’s big hand was opened flat to display a wide palm before he slammed it down... across the middle of Mulder’s butt.

The sharp sound of the heavy smack filled the room and the air seemed to still, until Mulder gasped, “Ah – OW! Sk – Skinner?” Another smack fell, just as hard and on the same spot. Mulder’s body twitched as he yelled, “OHH! Shit, shit, shit... Oh God! Oh SHIT!”

Scully’s response was more coherent. She stood from her seat, eyes wide, and said, “Sir, I don’t think that’s appropriate.”

Skinner replied gruffly, “Does anything appropriate...” He slapped Mulder’s left buttock, “... ever work with your partner?” and then his right. The man whined and wriggled on the desk, frantic as a fish out of water. Skinner stopped to wipe some sweat from his brow and looked directly at Scully. What he saw in her expression made him sigh and speak with more composure. “Scully, I know you want to protect him... and I commend that, very highly... but the best way to keep him safe right now is for you to let me continue. Trust me, I’m doing this to save him from himself. Remember when he went out alone to the Bermuda Triangle? Well, turns out nearly _dying_ wasn’t enough to smarten him up, so I’m taking up the task personally. His ass is gonna be raw, but at least it’ll be alive! I could tell you what I’ve found out, but... I think the truth ought to come from him. Don’t you agree, Mulder?”

Mulder, apparently, did not. He turned his neck to set his chin on the desk, propping his head up so he could direct the most pathetic of puppy eyes at Scully. “Skinman’s gone crazy, Scully! Don’t listen to him! He – he’s hurting me! Call for help!”

Skinner chuckled, “Oh, you really want security in here? All right, Scully, go and give them a call. I think it’s Chuck and Patty on duty tonight. While you’re on the line, I’ll just continue what I started so that they can hear what’s going on. Then when they come into this room I’m going to keep at it for as long as they stand and watch, so that they see exactly what’s happening. They’ll probably take a while to fully absorb the scene. It’s not every day you see a grown man – an FBI agent – get a _spanking!_ ”

Scully watched as Mulder winced, ears turning red in embarrassment. He was likely second-guessing the idea of rescue. Skinner pushed him along, telling Scully, “Please call Arlene down here as well, so she can observe and assist in writing a detailed report, then go ahead and unlock the door for everyone to come in here. Let’s not cause more trouble than I’m already dealing with.” Skinner took out his cell phone and placed it on the desk, right by Mulder’s head.

Scully stepped close and Mulder mumbled, “Don’t... don’t call them.” She hadn’t intended to even touch the phone, though. She knelt down in front of Mulder and ran one hand through his hair, cupping his cheek with the other, and said, “You weren’t planning on going to a UFO convention, were you?” Mulder squeezed his eyes shut and Scully sighed, “Oh, Mulder... Just tell me...” He shook his head.

Her decision was made. She reached under Mulder’s neck to loosen the knot on his tie before removing it completely, and then she undid the first two buttons of his shirt. Mulder peered at her as she did this, and it was a relief to see guilt and understanding in his eyes rather than betrayal. He wouldn’t hate her for this. She hoped she could forgive him too... for whatever she was going to find out.

Scully sat back down, taking Mulder's patterned tie with her, and she squeezed the garish material between her hands before saying to Skinner, “I trust you, sir.”

 

TBC


End file.
